Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: No sooner the plane landed
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:This item checks the fixed correlative structure “No sooner … than …” which requires inversion with the auxiliary “had” (or “did” in present). The absence of inversion after “No sooner” is the error.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:Correct patterns:
Therefore, we need “No sooner had the plane landed than …”.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Insert auxiliary and invert: “had the plane landed”.Keep “than” to introduce the second clause.Correct sentence: “No sooner had the plane landed at the airport than a group of armed commandos surrounded it.”Verification / Alternative check:Use the sister structure: “Hardly/Scarcely had the plane landed when …”. This confirms that “than” belongs with “No sooner …”.
Why Other Options Are Wrong/Acceptable:
Common Pitfalls:Forgetting auxiliary inversion after negative/limiting adverbs; mixing “No sooner … than …” with “Hardly/Scarcely … when …”.
Final Answer:No sooner the plane landed
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